Managing US$30 million in global inventory of products across many industries, the company uses SAP® Business All-in-One solution for better visibility, faster order fulfillment, and continued growth.

Anything that's industrial optics...

Customer Snapshot:History

Fulfilling an Optic Vision

1942

Edmund Scientific was founded by Norman W. Edmund to salvage optical elements for the war effort.

1943

First catalog was published, including over 1,000 products from telescopes and binoculars to microscopes and individual prisms.

1964

Fiber optic light guides were introduced in the catalog of products (and some of those first models are still sold today).

1969

An Edmund 95¢ Barlow lens went to the moon on Apollo 11, and was instrumental in capturing the images that were shared on TV.

1970

The first helium neon (He-Ne) lasers were introduced to the catalog; Robert Edmund (Norman’s son) joined the family business.

1984

The company split into Edmund Industrial Optics and Edmund Scientific (which was later sold).

1989

Edmund Optics started selling cameras.

1995

The first global office opened in Japan.

1996

A package from Edmund Scientific appeared on an episode of TV’s “The Simpsons.”

2000

Edmund created a world-wide presence with its new website.

2005

Edmund manufactured aspheric lenses in protoype and volume.

2009

Edmund Optics launched new products for solar and filter applications.

The Challenge

A Clear Direction

Edmund Optics needed a solution to help coordinate all the steps necessary to manufacture and deliver products quickly. As the company’s global presence increased, there was little visibility into the company and their processes, and their existing solution couldn’t keep up. Edmund Optics needed a solution to meet both current and future needs.

Delivering as quickly as possible.

Enter SAP

Big Requirements, Small Budget

Edmund Optics was looking for a solution with many features: it had to be intuitive and easy to use, it would need to grow with the company, and it would have to support multiple languages. As a smaller company, Edmund also needed a solution that would fit their budget requirements.

Enter SAP:The SAP Experience

Ready, Set, Go!

Working closely with Answerthink to ensure smooth implementation, SAP Business All-in-One met four requirements for going live. All on launch day, the solution had to:

Take an order.

Ship an order.

Get cash from customers.

Pay vendors.

Better Business

Transformational Change

The Business All-in-One solution met every requirement Edmund set, and it has transformed the way Edmund Optics is able to run their business. The system is intuitive and easy to use, data can be quickly accessed and reported, and visibility into the manufacturing workflow has been greatly increased.

Better Business:Benefits

Tangible Results

Since implementation:

- 90% of orders are now shipped same-day because products are in the right place at the right time

- Processes that used to take 7 minutes can now be completed in 2 minutes

- Length of calls to the call center have decreased from 5-8 minutes to 2-3 minutes

- Customers and vendors enjoy better visibility

We’re never going to have to reinvest in a whole other enterprise resource planning system. SAP will live with us through the rest of our growth as a company.

Better Business:Run Simple

Teamwork for Growth

As the company rallied around this implementation, it fostered a sense of teamwork, and created champions for each department, ensuring that employees would make full use of the solution’s potential. With SAP, Edmund Optics has found a long-term solution that will help them to continue to grow.

A company-wide milestone.

Journey Ahead

A Broader Vision

Edmund Optics plans to expand global functionality and visibility, using the software to understand cultural differences and meet different needs in worldwide locations – all while keeping a family-oriented structure. They also plan to add mobility, HR, and marketing functionalities.